All I use today is CLP for rifle, pistol and shotgun. As the letters say; it is Clean, Lube and Preserve.

Webley

 

I went with CLP after a coyote hunt where my buddy's rifle (T-3) refused to fire three times in a row. After getting warmed up in the pickup it fired fine. Pulled down the bolt, cleaned up the oil, which didnt seem all that heavy, and relubed with CLP. The next time out was even colder and he had no issues.

 

Reports I have Read of Winter Korea indicated the M1 Garands and Carbines were Cleaned of ALL Lubricants to keep them Functional in the Coldest Weather Combat.

Chev. William

 

It may make them functional, but a Garand or M14/M1A is going to suffer accelerated wear without lubricant in critical areas like the bolt lugs and roller. There are many automotive greases designed to work at low temperatures that will allow these rifles to operate while properly lubed.

The only reason I can see to go 'dry' is in a high sand/dust environment, as rojkoh points out.

 

This thread is kinda' worthless without knowing what gun is being used in the coldest of weather here.

 

In my post i identified the rifle. If your don't know a T-3 is a Tikka.

 

Thanks!
CLP should be fine in a bolt-action to -20 (real feel), the coldest I ever hunted. My multiple hunts that day were 60-75 minutes, then indoors I went. What a waste of time..... nothing was moving and breathing, except me.

 

Mobil 1 makes a synthetic motor oil rated 0W-40. Mild winter here so I can't report sub-zero testing to date.

CLP get good reports everywhere. Lots of folks in the military swear by it.

Cheezywan

 

I've had nothing but success using CLP then slip2000 in critical areas, but proper storage of your weapon & cleaning it right after firing it will go a long way.

During extreme cold weather training we used CLP as it wouldn't freeze or gum up slowing or causing a malfunction in our rifles & pistols.

Just be sure to keep CLP away from the breech and bore. It does break down with the heat and friction of firing and it will affect accuracy. I'm not knocking it since I use it, I'l just aware of the potential problems of Teflon in the bore.

 

CLP works fine IME, but I haven't been out for extended periods below -10.

That said, I've been using Slick 2000 quite a bit and it's rated freeze point is -110. Just a newer synthetic I think.

 

CLP works fine IME, but I haven't been out for extended periods below -10.

News flash! You're not getting my sorry old arse out in -10 for extended periods!

 

I'll just continue using Mobil 1 10w as I've been doing for years. I works for all four seasons.

 

Don't forget to change your oil every 3000 rounds.

 

Easy, fellas.

I'd have to 'man-up', too, if I moved to Canada. It was in the mid 90's here in central Texas, yesterday. Of course some of you canucks might melt in August here....

I truly have to wonder if people with cold-weather firearms issues aren't using too much lube as the first part of the problem. "If some is good, then pour it full...." I always wipe down any component that has been oiled, etc. If you can wipe any excess off - seems like there is probably too much applied, in the first place. Thoughts?

There's a reason wheel bearings are packed full of grease, but I don't see how that circumstance applies to the inside of a rifle bolt, etc.

 

Easy, fellas.

Not a problem

I'd have to 'man-up', too, if I moved to Canada. It was in the mid 90's here in central Texas, yesterday. Of course some of you canucks might melt in August here....

Same for the Socal desert and of course the middle east (been there, done that).

I truly have to wonder if people with cold-weather firearms issues aren't using too much lube as the first part of the problem. "If some is good, then pour it full...." I always wipe down any component that has been oiled, etc. If you can wipe any excess off - seems like there is probably too much applied, in the first place. Thoughts?

It's the same reason people scream "Never use WD40" and I do, especially when cleaning the external surfaces (number of tricks for that one), but I ALWAYS wipe them after. When people leave a ton of it on the firearms and than have a problem when it gunks up and cases rust. I have a picture of a SS M1A barrel with a rust spot on it because the guy had used WD badly. I can post it, aside from the fact WD is not good with SS. Ruger had a problem with cracked forcing cones on the early Redhawks because someone was using WD when they screwed the barrels on.

 

It pays to check the lube deal out. Many guns come from the factory over lubed. If shooting in cold weather even oil can turn stiff and render a normally dependable gun into a non performer.

Like Shawnbo, I'm conscious of anything that adds scent which the animals I'm hunting may detect.

 

It pays to check the lube deal out. Many guns come from the factory over lubed. If shooting in cold weather even oil can turn stiff and render a normally dependable gun into a non performer.

They do that for a reason, including not having the firearm rust while stored.

A friend has a collection of Garands we've been working a project with. We've had screaming arguments about the fact he won't clean the cosmoline out of some of them. That too can cause rust depending, I spent about 4 hours getting rust off the inside parts of a Garand about 3 years ago; because it had never been cleaned right.

I took that much time so I wouldn't screw up the finish (kroil and soft wood)

 

If you want to pay more for gun oil - by all means, go right ahead.

Shooters have found over the past several centuries that practically anything will work, as long as you use SOMETHING and don't use too much of it.

I don't care for the smell of 80W-90 gear oil, but Mobil-1 doesn't bother me a bit. Everyone will have personal preferences and I doubt any of them 'stink' any more than I do, to a deer

 

OK an update. Stripped that 1911A1 NM and lubed it with Mobil synthetic. Put at least a couple hundred rounds through it for practice.

As a lube, I'd use it if nothing else were available and it does work, but not quite as good as CLP works with it. Also collects dirt and gunk more than CLP.

 

I've never been accused of wanting to pay more, for anything, but you're right - it comes down to preference. MY preference - couldn't care less what the deer thinks...

 

BTW the faster cycling thing I've ever worked on cycled at a rate of 6000 rpms. If anyone thinks we tried to experiment with anything other than the mil spec lube for it, we didn't. Trick was getting it manageable for hand held use with blanks and that wasn't 6000 rpms.

 

I can definitely see 'gunk accumulation' being a serious issue for a 1911, especially a serious shooter. But, if 'gun accumulation' is a problem inside a bolt-action rifle, probably lube type is not your most pressing issue.... just sayin'....

Also, if you don't want 'gunk' to accumulate in a 1911, don't shoot cast bullets with Unique! I do not believe there is any lube ever invented that will help with that circumstance....

The original question of a reliable lube in extreme low temperatures (when hunting with a rifle) is not really applicable to running a couple hundred rounds through a 1911 on a sunny day. Different problem, no surprise that there are different solutions.

 

The original question of a reliable lube in extreme low temperatures (when hunting with a rifle) is not really applicable to running a couple hundred rounds through a 1911 on a sunny day. Different problem, no surprise that there are different solutions.

Extremely low here is ambient temperature of -40C/F or lower. At that temperature, only a 'dry' rifle can be counted upon to operate with 100% reliability. Not much fun hunting or shooting in those temps, unless you're a masochist. Wind chill factor is irrelevant - it is a measure of how quickly an exposed surface will lose heat reaching the ambient temperature. A rifle in an ambient temperature of -25F and wind chill of -65F will operate exactly the same as it would in an ambient temperature of -25F and wind chill of -25F.

Above -35C, I don't even bother to remove lube anymore, because it doesn't cause a problem unless used in excess.

 

Shortly after I had moved my family to SD, during the first hunting season, I experienced my first ever sub zero temperatures. So one day while hunting pheasant with my son's, all 5 of them, we were all shooting Rem. 870's, and not one of those shotguns would fire. The wind chills were in the -70's or so, within a minute of exposure, they were completely inoperable. Drove over 100 miles only to have to turn around and go home.

My German short hair wouldn't even get out of the truck, which was a first ever. That dog would go ballistic the second we hit dirt roads, knowing we were getting close to our hunting spot, not on that day. He was raised and trained in New Mexico.

SMOA

 

For anti-oxidant properties Mobil 1 ATF is better than the motor oil. Lubricates well in my tropical heat. Have no idea what its viscosity is (for cold weather use). But in warm weather it works great.
Up until a few years back I used Mobil-1 20w-50 on the whole fleet. Ford Crown Vic (V-8), Ford Econoline E-150 (V-8), Jeep Cherokee(4.0 lter I-6), Yamaha R-1 (1,000 cc's 4-in line). Before THAT Yamaha I had an FZR-1000 which also got Mobil-1 20w-50. Never had a problem with the clutch on either of the Yamahas, in spite of road racing them both and some pretty spirited on the road use. I did hear of, but never saw first hand, of slipping clutches with the automotive Mobil-1. Maybe Yamahas are less prone to that???

Since I've sold the bikes and replaced the vehicles. Two use 0W-20 weight and the other 10W-30, and, yes, they are all running Mobil-1.

Luisyamaha

 

Stay away from motor oils and ATFs. They stink-up your guns horribly.